Method of loading freight-cars.



C. L. MICHOD. METHOD 0F LOADING FREIGHT SARS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. ZGI ISI?.

'0. L. Mmmm.

METHOD 0F LOADING FREIGHT CARS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC, 26. |917.

l @@j Patented Apr. 23, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEE 2.

Dugan eougn co1 Cv. L. MICHOD. METHOD omo/DING FREIGHT CARS. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26. i917.

.Patented Apr. 23, 1918.

T I Y l I l I/l i,aeavaa.

CHARLES L. MICHOD, 0F CHICAGO, lIIiLIlNIS. I

METHOD OF LOADING FREIGHT-CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentedlapr. 23, tFile.

Application filed December 26, 1917. Serial No. 208,950.

To all 'whom t may concern Be it known that l, CHARLES L. Micrron, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of lllinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods of Loading Freight-Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to an improved method of loading heavy articles, such as automobiles, upon cars and more especially box-cars, to the end that carsl may be loaded expeditiously and relatively economically and as nearly as possible the maximum amount of space afforded by the car, utilized for the storing of the articles to be transported.

Generally stated, my improved method as practised in connection with box-cars, involves the entering of the article to be transported, into the c'ar through the central opening thereof, thereupon elevating the article by any suitable mechanism and. then introducing suitable supporting means under the article while the. latter is in elevated position and thereafter moving the support-4 ing means with the article thereon into one end of the car.

ieferring to the accompanying drawings: Figurel is a view in longitudinal, seetional elevation of a box-car loaded with automo-biles by my improved method, as prefer to practise it, aportion of one section .of a guide rail for the racks being omitted. Fig.

'2 is a plan section of the car with the auto-` mobiles omitted.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken at the line on Fig. 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4 is a plan view of one. of the supporting racks employed and planking supported thereby. Fig. 5 is an enlarged section taken at the line 5-5 on Fig. 4 and to practise it, in connection with the loading of box-cars with automobiles, one of the automobiles to be transported is caused to enter the car through one of the side openings thereof, one of these openings being shown at 7 and the lautomobile caused to extend lengthwise of the car opposite the openin through which it is entered. The automo ile so entered is then elevated above viewed in the directionof the arrows; and Fig. 6, a view in able character i the Hoor 8 of the car, by any suitable means,

as for example the block vand tackle mecha-V msms illustrated at 9 and preferably prov vided of four in number which are supported in a rectangular arrangement, as ,indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2 and hook over the hubs of the wheels of the automobile.

While the automobile is thus suspended, any

|suitable "form of means constructed to support the weight of the automobile and adapted to be shifted with the automobile thereon into the end of the car, are positioned under the elevated automobile to support the latter, the tackle devices 9 then released from the automobile and the supporting means referred to with the automobile thereon moved into the end of the car, thus supporting the automobile referred to in elevated position in one end of the car and at such a. height, where the car is to be loaded withautomobiles in superposed relation, as to permit another automobile introduced into the car through one of its side openings to be positioned under the first-referred-to automobile, as illustrated of either end of the car in Fig. 1. Another automobileto Vbe loaded is then introduced into the car through one of its side openings, and positioned to extend lengthwise of the car, then elevated as hereinbefore described, and supporting means of the character hereinbefore referred to positioned under the dependingly supported automobile, the tackle mechanism 9 released and the supporting means with the automobile thereon then moved into the opposite end of the car, as explained of the firstreferred-toautomobile, and another automobile entered into the car to be positioned beneath it. Another automobile to be loaded is then entered into the car and elevated as explained above, thus aiiordin a space below it for a sixth automobile, it being preferred that sup orting meansrof any desir- 'e positioned under the last automobile'elevated, as stated, for supporting the latter. rlhe arrangement of the automobiles in the ear upon loading it, as above stated, is that shown in Fig. 1 and it will be readily apparent that the full capacity of the car for storing automobiles, isI utilized.

While the form of supporting means for` the automobiles is immaterial so far as my present invention is concerned, l prefer to ioo l use racks such as those illustrated, which are thereb bile. The rack members shown, each comprise two ,end-frames 10 spaced apart cross- Wise of the car and a cross-frame 11 connecting the end-frames together. The end-frames are formed of upright bars 12 connected together at their lower ends by a cross-piece 14.- with braces 15 connected with the crosspiece 14 and the uprights 12 and a crosspiece 16 Connecting the uprights 12 intermediate their ends. The cross-frame 11 is formed of bars 17 extending crosswise of the car and rigidly connected at their opposite ends with the uprights 12, the bars '17 supporting members 18' spaced apart to afford channels, the bottoms of which are formed of downwardly curved bars 19 connected with the bars 17, these channels being provided for the reception of the wheels of the automobile Supported thereby, as shown in the drawings.

By preference, flanged rails, which may be formed ci? angle-iron and represented at 2 0 are laid upon theoor of the car to extend in spaced relation and lengthwise thereof, as represented in Fig. 2, the racks referred to resting at their cross-pieces, or bases, 11 upon the channeled portions of the rails 20 which facilitates the sliding of the racks, with the automobiles supported thereon, into the ends of the car, the rails 20 preferabl having their flanged portions extending' ad) jacent the outer sides of the racks.

The racks of each pair thereof are shown as supporting planking 21 Whichlwould be provided where the articles to be supported y in elevated position above the floor of the car, are of such forni or character that. a broad area of supporting Surface therefor, is necessary or desirable. f

While I have described my invention in connection, with the loadin of a car with automobiles only, and have siown a particular apparatus for this purpose, I do not Wish to be --understood as intendin to limit. it thereto, as the invention may e utilized in the loading of a car with other articles than automobiles or with a combination of .automobiles and other articles, and any other suitable apparatus may be used in carrying out the steps of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is t 1. The method of loading relatively heavy articles into freight ears, which consists in entering the article into the car through the central opening of the latter, thereupon elevating the article, and intioducing supporting means under the article while the latter is in elevated position, and thereafter moving the supporting means with the article thereon into one end of the car.

2. The method 0f loading relatively heavy articles into freight cars, which consists in entering the article into the car through the central opening of the latter, thereupon elevating the article, and introducing supporting means undei' the article while the latter is in elevated position, and thereafter mov` ing the supporting` means with the article thereon into one end of the car, and entering another article into the ear through the central opening of the latter, elevating the article and introducing supporting means under the article while the latter is in elevated position and thereafter moving the supporting means with the article thereon into the opposite end of the car.

3. The method of loading relatively heavy articles into 'freight cars, which consists in entering thearticle into the car through the central opening of the latter thereupon ele- Y vating the article, and introducing supporte' ing means under the article while the latter is in elevated position, and thereafter Inoving the supporting means with the article thereon into one end of the car, and entering another article into the car through the central opening of the latter, elevating the article and introducing supporting means under the article while the latter is in elevated position and ^thereafter moving the supporting means with the article thereon into the o posite end of the car, entering another of tie articles to be transported, into the car. through the central opening of the latter thereupon elevating this article and supporting the latter in elevated position above the bottom of the car.

4. The method of loading relatively heavy articles upon freight cars, which consists in elevating the article to be loaded upon the car, to extend above a portion of the car, introducing. supporting means under the article lwhile the latter is supported in elevated position, and thereafter moving the supporting means with the article thereon into another location on the car for supporting Said article during its transportion on the car.

CHARLES L. MICHOD. 

